Court told of Scalloway man’s attacks on daughter and friend

A man who attacked his daughter and a man with a hockey stick was granted his liberty for a further four weeks by Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday.

Alan Devine, 46, of Undirhoul, Scalloway, had previously admitted the “very serious” offences, which happened on 19th September in the village’s Main Street.

Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie explained the “convoluted” events of that night. At around 12.50am Devine left a pub and encountered his daughter and the man, who were with a group of mutual friends. Devine’s daughter asked him to go home but he refused, even though she was upset at his refusal.

The man intervened to attempt to placate Devine, but failed. Devine punched him on the head, knocking him to the ground. Devine was restrained by the others but then ran away and went to his home nearby to get a hockey stick.

A few moments later the daughter, who was sitting on a wall in the area with two friends, saw her father with the hockey stick and confronted him, fearing her friends were under threat.

Devine ignored his daughter, throwing her to the ground and striking her on the hand with the hockey stick and causing her to cry out.

One of the friends grabbed the stick and threw it into a bush before the daughter and friends fled. They then encountered the man who had previously tried to help and who was still in the street with other people.

Meanwhile Devine retrieved the hockey stick and ran up to the man, striking him so that he fell to the ground and then striking him repeatedly on the head and body with the stick to his injury and shouting: “No-one f**** with big Al, I’ll f****** kill you.”

The police and ambulance were called and the man, conscious but bleeding heavily from the head, was taken to hospital. He was treated for lacerations to the skull and severe bruising to the arms and head. The daughter was uninjured.

Devine was detained by police later at his home but had no recollection of the incident and no explanation.

Mr MacKenzie said the “concerning aspect” of the case was that in the middle of the confrontation Devine broke off and twice made a conscious decision to get a weapon.

Defence solicitor Tommy Allan said Devine, who had been in steady employment, had co-operated with him and complied with the special condition of bail, granted at the time of the offence, that he should not contact his daughter. However she now wants to speak to him.

Sheriff Graeme Napier said Devine’s assault was a “very serious” because arming and then re-arming was an “indication of intent”. He continued bail and removed the condition that Devine should not contact his daughter.